Flames shock Pacific Division-leading Ducks, walloping them 7-2 in their best game of the season

Calgary gets contributions across the lineup as they shut down one of league’s elite squads

Anaheim Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin could only look on in disbelief as members of the Calgary Flames, from left, Lance Bouma, TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Mikael Backlund and Paul Byron celebrate after scoring their fourth goal of the first period.

Photograph by: Colleen De Neve
, Calgary Herald

Bruce Boudreau knew what they were in for.

“They don’t play like they’re trying to end the season,” the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks was saying of the Calgary Flames at the morning skate prior to an 8 p.m. contest at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “We’ve played them six times since I’ve been here. Five of them have been one-goal games and then the 5-2 game last time. But every game is tight. And the last time we were in this building it was 2-1. We’re not at a stage right now where we can say ‘Hey, boys we’re playing a team that’s way down in the standings.’”

Because, as the visiting boss knew long before Wednesday’s 7-2 paddling — a game which was over by the first period and everyone in the building knew — the Flames are not what they seem.

Or what their 27th-placed record (26-33-7) in the National Hockey League standings indicate.

Nope, the Flames picked right where they left off in Monday’s third period against the Los Angeles Kings and skated right out of the gates on Wednesday against another playoff-hunting squad.

After staging a comeback against the Kings in the last five minutes, the home boys jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 20 against the fragile-looking Ducks.

The pressure continued in the second period when Backlund netted another short-handed tally to make it 5-0 with only 1:31 off the clock in the second period. The stick-side marker on relief pitcher Frederik Andersen was the Swede’s 16th of the year and gave the Flames a league-leading 11 short-handed goals this season.

The Ducks were given a bit of life when Andrew Cogliano made quick work of a no-look pass behind his net by Jakob Silfverberg at the halfway point of the second period.

But with 1:11 remaining, Ladislav Smid gave Calgary a sixth (snapping a 54 game goalless drought) and the visitors hung their heads to the dressing room.

“Between the second and third period, I said ‘They’re going to make a push,’ ” noted Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “There’s always exceptions, but we felt we wanted a good start. Even the players on the bench, they were saying, ‘Let’s play the right way.’ Then we played a complete third period no matter what the score was.”

The third was capped by Corban Knight scoring his first NHL goal late in the game to complete the rout.

It was the second loss in a row for the Ducks who sit second in the NHL with a 43-16-7 record and are still very much Stanley Cup contenders when the snow starts to melt.

“We’re in quite a race ourselves and it’s going to be a battle for the last month of the season to get where we want to be,” Boudreau had been saying. “There’s no breathing room at all.

“I mean, San Jose doesn’t want to lose. L.A. hasn’t lost in a month. St. Louis never loses. Chicago doesn’t lose and neither does Colorado. So I mean, we’ve got to be on that same treadmill for the next month and then see where it goes.”

For the home side, the Flames, are 4-4 since returning from the Olympic break.

“As much as the coaches, the fans, everyone around wants your team to be solid, to be perfect for 82 games but we’re dealing with human beings,” Hartley was saying at the morning skate. “But you have to roll with the punches. They’re not playing as good as they’ve been playing but at the same time they want to redeem themselves, get back to their winning ways because here’s a contending team for the Stanley Cup.

“For us, a young team, it’s a great gauge. I can’t ask for more. I want to measure my team against the best.”

And, certainly, the fans appreciated Wednesday’s effort.

“It’s all about pressure,” explained Hartley. “That’s our mindset. I don’t know how many times I say the word pressure in a day with those guys.

“We want to be a skating team. I try to tell our guys, we want to win some games but we’re also in the entertainment business. Fans come to the game to see excitement. They come to the rink to see a group of players play hard. And we’re a young group. We should have lots of energy which we have. And I want our guys to be on our toes. I’m not a fan of sitting on the blueline and just waiting.”

For the first time in a long time, the hometown faithful gave the Flames a standing ovation after the stellar first period.

Already, they’d seen four home team goals — in order: the captain’s slapshot, Galiardi’s short-handed tap-in from a speedy Paul Byron with Kevin Westgarth off, Cammalleri’s five-hole shot that chased Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller, and Byron’s goal after out-manning Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin. Oh, and a fight from Brian McGrattan.

Then, there was the following 40 minutes.

After Backlund put the Flames up 5-0, they kept skating and managed to sustain the pressure. McGrattan, who’d gone into the game on a two (!) game scoring streak, nearly potted another with 3:15 remaining when he faked a slapshot before Beauchemin tied him up. (A nice recovery though, the Flames beloved toughie went into the corner immediately after, hit Anaheim centre Kyle Palmieri, and had another chance after that).

Nick Bonino let a wrister past Flames rookie netminder Joni Ortio in the third period but the Ducks had checked out long before that.

C-NOTES: Next up for the Flames: a two-game road trip to Dallas and Phoenix on Thursday and Saturday . . . The Flames re-assigned C Max Reinhart to Abbotsford earlier in the day . . . Calgary forwards Curtis Glencross and Kevin Westgarth both returned from injury on Wednesday . . . G Karri Ramo was originally slated to join the Flames on the road. But, according to Hartley, the doctors are ordering him to stay home.

THE HERALD’S THREE STARS

1. Flames C Mikael Backlund — Two goals and an assist. Dominates in the faceoff circle and gives the home team a pile of valuable minutes.

2. Flames D Ladislav Smid — A guy who rarely gets noticed on the scoresheet (unless it’s for blocking shots), the likable Czech scores his third of the year and is a plus-three. Adds his usual physical touch while sacrificing his body.

3. Flames RW Paul Byron — Does what he does, which is skate and play like he’s Ryan Getzlaf-sized. Speedy and all over the ice, sets up T.J. Galiardi’s short-handed tally in the first period. Picks up an assist on Smid’s goal.

The Flames jet set on a two-game road trip to face the Dallas Stars on Friday (6:30 p.m., Sportsnet West/Calgary, Sportsnet 960 The FAN) and the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday (8 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet 960 The FAN).

Anaheim Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin could only look on in disbelief as members of the Calgary Flames, from left, Lance Bouma, TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Mikael Backlund and Paul Byron celebrate after scoring their fourth goal of the first period.

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